Of Fire and Steel
by n1t3sama
Summary: crimson forms turning in a slow dance as orange flames blaze and smoke swirls around them. Maiko drabbles and shorts. Drabble 2: My take on the infamous note Zuko leaves for Mai.
1. Of Fire and Steel

_1. the clink of steel  
2. the heat of fire  
3. the hard glint amber eyes  
4. the slow burn of betrayal _

_5. Azula's cruel laughter, echoing in the background, as she walks away, leaving them to fight to the death._

_6. crimson forms turning in a slow dance as orange flames blaze and smoke swirls around them_

_He confronts her with a rage he has never directed at her before. Everyone but her... anyone but her. _

"_You too, Mai?"_

_Mai's smirk is as cold as the steel throwing star that grazes his collarbone as he stands defiantly, done dodging, standing tall in the fire as he screams through the smoke. _

"_No, Zuko. Betraying you implies that I had once been on your side."_

_Zuko cannot move, even though with a flick of her wrist, Mai sends dozens of needles flying towards him. He doesn't move. He can't feel the pain of the needles pricking him, blood spilling over his cream colored skin. All he feels is his stomach flipping over, his gut falling, his heart constricting._

_He steels himself, for once learning from her, and inhales, drawing lightning with his breath, as a blue ribbon of crystalline lightning shoots out of the tips of his fingers, streaming straight to Mai. The expression on his face is anything but a smirk, and there is a complete absence of the rage with which he channels fire. No, to channel lightning, Zuko feels only an intense, aching pain. _

_The blue ribbon takes almost forever to reach Mai. Her smile fades when the lightning hits her and her screams echo through the haze of the smoke. Zuko falls to his knees, the pain in his voice echoing in his ears._

_Her body collapses onto the stone floor. The sun is setting in the background, orange and pink ribbons in the sky, echoing the flames that surround them. Her blood is as crimson as her robes as it pools around her prone form, blue lightning crackling in the air, charged._

Suddenly Mai's screams fade to an annoyed tone, as Zuko feels someone impatiently shaking his shoulder.

"Zuko! I can't sleep if you keep tossing and turning like that!"

Zuko's eyes snap open as he gazes into Mai's sour face, her mouth pulled into a frown, her black hair tousled for once, her golden eyes bleary and red from lack of sleep.

He doesn't speak, instead pulling her into a crushing hug, holding her to him with such force that his rapidly beating heart thrums like a war drum in her own chest.

Gradually his heart beat slows down as he inhales the jasmine in her hair and the warmth of her body soothes his tension. He is still holding her ever so tightly and she finds it safe to mumble "Let go already!", because Mai hates someone touching her when she is trying to sleep.

He lets go, but even in the dim light of the moon shining in through the window, his golden eyes look pained, so Mai huffs, snaking her slender arms around his broad chest, resting her head over his heart. He holds her, gently this time, and she manages to fall asleep with a smile on her face.

Zuko feels Mai sleeping in his arms for the first time and he feels so content because she is so close, but pained, because he wonders if she really is as close as she seems.

He gazes at the ceiling, sighing as the moonlight shines over them and the trees sway in the night breeze.

He hopes his dream will never become a reality.


	2. The Note

Dear Mai,

Hello, Zuko here.

Um, I know you get bored easily, so I'll try and keep it short.

Avatar Roku is my OTHER great-grandpa (besides Firelord Sozin).

I'm going to join the Avatar (because he's actually alive still! Azula lied as usual), and teach him Firebending! I hope his group never calls me out on the fact that Azula and my Father (the people they're trying to face), have both beaten me in fights before... usually with disastrous consequences. I hope it'll work out !

Anyway, that's all.

I hope even after reading this, you still dont-hate-me !

Your Love Slave,

No Longer Banished but now Voluntarily Left, Crown Prince Zuko.

P.S. I know what those other girls in the capitol have been saying about me... you know, about me and that water tribe girl.

P.P.S. NOTHING HAPPENED.

P.P.P.S. Please wait a bit before dating others!! Destiny will tie me to your sour face forever !!!

* * *

A/N: This story was intended to be humorous... I don't seriously think this is what Zuko wrote... (at least I hope not !) 


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